UGA's Chambers gets meeting with old rival

Posted: Saturday, March 18, 2006

ATHENS - The message came in almost instantly.

It was Monday evening and Georgia had just learned its fate for the NCAA women's tournament. The Lady Bulldogs (21-8) earned a third seed and drew Marist, a small college in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., in the first round.

Not even a minute had passed after the announcement when Cori Chambers' cellular phone went off. It was a text message from Shannon Minter, a junior guard for the Red Foxes (23-6), and a good friend of Chambers.

The New York natives played against each other in high school and then with each other in the Empire State Games, an Olympic-type event held each summer in Albany, N.Y.

Minter sent the message as soon as she saw the bracket on ESPN.

"It was a strange coincidence for sure," Minter said. "We had about talked possibly playing each other about a week before the selection show."

Marist qualified for the NCAA tournament after winning the Metro Athletic Atlantic Conference tournament for the second straight year. A number of players on the team - Minter, Julianne Viani, Kristen Vilardi and Fifi Camara - have either played with or against Chambers.

In fact, the relationship between Minter and Chambers began as anything but a friendship.

"We were rivals in high school," Chambers said with a laugh. "We hated each other," Minter said. "We didn't talk at all. When I heard her name I would just think to myself, 'I hate her.'"

Chambers attended the Ursuline School in New Rochelle, N.Y., while Minter was at Ossining High School, a nearby rival. They became friends two years ago - after high school - when they each played on the bronze-medal Hudson Valley squad in the 2004 ESG.

"We've become good friends since then," Chambers said. "My hatred for her was just on the basketball court at that point."

Chambers and Minter communicate regularly through e-mail and instant messaging on the Internet.

Another Red Fox, Viani, played against Chambers in high school and then with her on the Hudson Valley team in last year's ESG. Viani's teammate, Camara, the MAAC Player of the Year, was also on that team - which took the silver medal after losing 58-49 to Long Island in the gold medal game.

Chambers led Hudson Valley with 16 points in the loss.

"I thought (Chambers) was kind of cocky in high school," said Viani, who attended Our Lady of Lourdes High School in Poughkeepsie. "She's always been a great player, though, and we're all great friends now."

Viani anticipates a tough contest when her 14th-seeded Marist team plays Georgia at 2 p.m. today in Trenton, N.J.

"It's going to be a hard day," she said. "Hopefully, we'll play our best and give them a good game."

The meeting will be the second in the series as Georgia defeated Marist 79-62 on Dec. 21, 2004, in Poughkeepsie.

"I remember my whole family was there," Chambers said. "It was ugly that day, but we pulled it out.

"But it's a one-game season at this point," she continued. "This is what we play for. Everyday we come in and work hard and it's for this ... the NCAA tournament."